Linda Nitrauer Maki

Linnie passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, March 27. She was a wise and highly intelligent mother and wife who provided guidance and kindness to her son, Brian, husband, Mark, and those who were fortunate enough to have known her. She was the foundation of her loving family and was the best Mom and wife ever.

She was born in Springfield, Ohio where her beloved grandparents, Nonni and Mimi Singer lived along with many other cherished relatives. She moved to Ft. Lauderdale when she was only six months old and the city was a much smaller and more welcoming town. Linnie attended her treasured Catholic grade school, St. Anthony’s, then was one of the early scholars at Cardinal Gibbons High School from where her son, Brian, graduated in 2012. Linnie would look forward to the cooler summertime visits to Springfield and spending time there with Mimi and Nonni and the rest of the Ohio clan and was very proud of her Irish heritage.

After graduating from The University of South Florida, Linnie went to work at Beach Place Runaway Center in Tampa as a social worker. This vocation was consistent with her deep belief in helping others who were less fortunate than her. She changed direction later in life and excelled in another field that was a passion of hers; horticulture. In fact, she interned at Louis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, VA while she was pregnant with Brian and pursuing a second degree in horticulture.

Linnie was truly Catholic to her core and believed there was kindness in everyone; she subscribed to the Catholic doctrine and lived her life based on its principles. She was a room mother when Brian attended St. Elizabeth’s grade school. Whenever one of the kids needed lunch money, she gave it from her own pocket. She provided her support to the school when Brian was going to Cardinal Gibbons. She supported the City of Lighthouse Point recreation league activities when Brian was growing up and she could be counted on to bring bags of orange sections and bottled water for Brian’s rec league teams. She made sandwiches for the poor and donated them through St. Paul’s Catholic church on Fridays, and she had a fabulous sense of humor and made her husband laugh at least once each day.

 Being a true Floridian, Linnie moved back to South Florida in 1998 to help her aging mother, Marilyn, move to Lighthouse Point and to be closer and to assist her. Prior to moving to Lighthouse Point, Linnie lived in East Lansing, MI, Louisville, KY, Terre Haute, IN, Richmond, VA (twice!), and Charlotte, NC (twice also!) playing the role of the loyal spouse well as her husband was constantly being transferred. All these moves provided her with broadened experiences which she used to her advantage over the years. She will be missed.

Her funeral mass will be held on Saturday, April 2 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2700 NE 36th Avenue, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064 at 1 PM.